Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini, left, and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan react on the sideline after giving up a 75-yard run by Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew during the second half of an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010. The Jaguars won 24-20.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has some free advice for Mike Holmgren if the Browns president is planning on firing Eric Mangini and the rest of the coaching staff after the season ends a week from Sunday.

"If they break it up -- I'm not going to farm anybody's land, but that would be dumb as hell," Ryan said bluntly Thursday afternoon.

Normally the coordinators have their weekly news conference with reporters on Friday, but because today is Christmas Eve and everybody is in a hurry to get home, Ryan took his turn Thursday. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll goes today.

Ryan's news conference began with routine questions about the vulnerable run defense and how he plans to defend the Ravens on Sunday. Then it turned to the only topic that really matters -- the future beyond Jan. 2.

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Mangini has done no public campaigning to save his own hide in his second year on the job, although in a conference call Wednesday with writers covering the Ravens he acknowledged the heat is on.

"My seat's been hot for about three years," Mangini said. "So I'm pretty comfortable in that seat."

The Browns were 4-12 the year before Mangini was hired. They were 5-11 under Mangini last season and they are 5-9 with home games against the Ravens and Steelers to finish the season. They have lost back to back games to the Bills and Bengals, who were 2-10 and 2-11 before beating the Browns.

Ryan said Mangini is "a great" head coach. Ryan coaches defense, so he talked about defense first.

"I think our defensive staff works their (butts) off," Ryan said. "I don't know how many defenses are playing better than ours. We're 10th in the league in scoring defense and fifth in turnovers. We've had a lot of guys play.

"We're the only team in the league not to give up 30 points. Have we been great all the time? No. We're hardest to score on in the first quarter (26 points allowed, fewest in the league) because we prepare.

"If they bring somebody else in on defense, good luck, because they aren't going to be near as good as I am. As a head coach, I really believe Eric is a tremendous coach. This team believes in him."

But the record is the elephant in the room, Mangini's critics might say. Mangini is 10-20 coaching the Browns. The Browns are 2-8 in the AFC North under Mangini with two division games left. The Ravens and Steelers are both 10-4.

"That's a tough thing," Ryan said. "When you're new to a situation, you want to come in and say, 'We'll win every week,' and then something happens.

"We just have to be more consistent. We have to play better on all three phases. We're well-coached. Our players play hard. It's not an overnight thing."

Ryan praised Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert for adding linebacker Scott Fujita and tight end Benjamin Watson in free agency and for acquiring linebacker Scott Gocong, cornerback Sheldon Brown and running back Peyton Hillis by trade without singling those players out by name.

Even with strong additions, though, he said football teams cannot be turned around quickly. He used what the Miami Heat did by acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to paint a contrast.

"Now you have four or five guys on the court and 'Hey, we're better than everybody.' That doesn't happen in football. There are 22 guys. It takes a little while.

"You know this team is growing. This team is coming on. Look at this young quarterback (Colt McCoy). This kid is phenomenal. This kid is going to be a superstar in this league. It's fun to watch.

"Am I going to be part of it? Who knows? I want to be. I also want to be a head coach. Maybe I'll be a head coach somewhere."

The consensus before losing to Buffalo and Cincinnati was the Browns have to finish strong for Mangini and his coaching staff to survive. National writers have speculated Holmgren is already lining up Jon Gruden and John Fox as potential replacements for Mangini.

Ryan said the coaches have not been given a magic number of victories to reach to retain their jobs.